Zaha Hadid

Zaha Hadid is sometimes called “Queen of the Curve.” The buildings she designed change the landscape they’re part of, bending and curving in a style sometimes called a “warp.” She was the first woman to win the Pritzker Prize, the highest award given in architecture.

Born in Baghdad, Iraq, in 1950, Hadid loved math while she was growing up. Her parents sent her to boarding schools in England and Switzerland, hoping to provide her with the best possible education. This experience gave Hadid a love of travel and a desire to learn about new places. As an adult, she had the opportunity to work all over the world.